American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. He received the award on August 13, 1898 for his actions as a 1st sergeant and color bearer in Company I, 20th Maine Infantry, Union Army, on July 2, 1863, on the 2st day of the Battle of Gettysburg, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the America Civil War. The fifth of seven children, his father was an abusive alcoholic and he ran away from home while in his early teens. Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, he returned home in July 1961 and joined the 2nd Maine Infantry Regiment and was promoted to the rank of corporal in early 1862. He saw action at the Battle of Gaines Mill on June 27, 1862 where he was wounded in the hand and ankle and captured by Confederate soldiers, sent to Belle Isle Prison in Richmond, Virginia, and paroled a few weeks later. He rejoined his unit and participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. In May 1863 he was transferred to Company I of the 20th Maine Infantry and became the new regimental color bearer as his unit began its journey to Gettysburg. On the 2nd day of the battle, at Little Round Top, the center of his unit began to break and give ground in the face of Confederate General John Bell Hood's Alabama regiments' advance. He stood firm, remaining upright as enemy bullets flew around him. His personal gallantry in defending the 20th Maine's colors became the regimental rallying point for the 20th Companies D, E, and F to retake the center. Were it not for his heroic stand, the 20th Maine would likely have been beaten at that decisive point in the battle and the final outcome of the battle could possibly have favored the Confederate cause. Following the end of the War, he returned to Maine where he died at the age of 72. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Andrew Jackson Tozier, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 2 July 1863, while serving with Company I, 20th Maine Infantry, in action at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. At the crisis of the engagement Sergeant Tozier, a Color Bearer, stood alone in an advanced position, the regiment having been borne back, and defended his colors with musket and ammunition picked up at his feet."